“Decompressed Prism” represents a new step in Salvatore Vitale’s artistic exploration of technology. Initially conceived as a physical installation at the Palazzo Santa Margherita in Milan, the artist continues this experimental approach by adapting the work for ORBIT_E, the digital exhibition space that MBAL launched in 2022. Here he created an original and interactive work that echoes the initial installation.
In the digital space, “Decompressed Prism” takes the form of a non-linear narrative situated at the intersection of philosophy and technology. The artist fragments and reassembles the original storyline into several chapters, creating an experiential journey for the visitor. This work evolves within a playful space and addresses themes important to the artist, such as conscientization, empathy, social realism, space and the body. Divided into four parts, each segment offers a distinct digital space with a specific theme and its own interactive experience. Vitale’s work combines fictional and documentary elements, video archives, text, sound designs and real data.
“Decompressed Prism” reveals the paradoxes inherent in the systemic logic of ubiquitous surveillance through automated security tools. By examining the use of control technologies in Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Italy, the artist questions how these technologies shape our relationship to the world and to ourselves as human beings. He explores the notion of the body evolving between digitalization and reality, transforming the latter into a product controlled by technology. Drawing on contemporary philosophical and sociological texts, Vitale imagines an alternative reality where visitors are invited to consider the possibility of counter-narratives. The work also highlights the troubling normalization of security and rhizomatic surveillance, urging a critical reflection on its impact on human behaviour.
About the artist
Born in Palermo, Italy, Salvatore Vitale (*1986) lives and works in Zurich. For several years, he has been interested in the development and complexity of modern societies. As a visual artist, editor and teacher, his work includes multiple forms of expression: from photography to video, to writing and exhibition design. He is an award-winning artist, lecturer in the Transmedia Storytelling programme at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and co-founder of the international magazine YET. His work is regularly exhibited in Switzerland and abroad, including Holland, Germany, Slovenia and Japan.
Project launched in 2022 thanks to the support of Pro Helvetia.
